Stars in the Night Sky
by treealchemy
Summary: One-shot. Andromeda got a letter she never expected.


AN: I started this one with no idea who the characters were, originally they weren't sisters then suddenly they were and Andromeda and Bella came to mind.

The ending reared off in a different direction too about half way through and became a lot sadder than I planned to make happen for the 'blood/misery' prompts.

Sorry 'bout that.

**WARNINGS: **Implied child death

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Stars in the Night Sky

Prompts: ocean; baby; feline; medication; sun; shop; blood; misery;

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The ocean heaved beneath them. Why where they here again? Oh yes. Her.

The looming monster that was Azkaban sat unyielding before them. Her broom swaying in the bitter wind that came with the constant storm surrounding the bleak prison.

The baby, she told herself, just think about the baby.

Her sister had begged, literally begged, for her to come here. To take the baby. Poor thing, she thought, to be born in Azkaban. Her sister had been moved to the highest level once the guards had realised she was pregnant but being a death eater they weren't about to risk letting her leave.

The child was due this coming month but had chosen to come early.

That was why Andromeda found herself flying towards to the great metal beast of death and despair.

They were landing now, the depression of the dementors heavy in her mind already.

"I suggest that if you can you cast your patronus now before it becomes near to impossible to do so." The auror, Lenkin he said his name was, ordered kindly to the group of non-regulars. A healer, chosen for discretion, and a mind-healer recently of St Mungos had also joined Andromeda for this trip into hell.

Often on the journey she had wondered why Cissy had refused to answer, or had Bella even contacted her. Why? That was the question. Why send her child to the black, or should that be white, sheep of the Black family?

The thoughts filled her mind again but she quickly pushed them out, instead filling her mind with memories of Ted and little Nym. A silvery mist burst from the end of her wand as she cast the incantation immediately taking on the form of a wild feline. A lioness she supposed although, being as it was, the animal could easily be one of the other big cats, she'd never seen an actual lioness, or leopard, or whatever.

Lenkin led them through to the medical wing of the vast triangular prison. Andromeda was thankful there appeared to be a silencing charm covering the entire section of prison, she didn't think she could handle hearing the screams of the prisoners as she had been imagining since she first received her sister's letter. In some ways the silence was worse, but only in some.

They entered the room, no cell, where Bella was being kept.

Bella watched them as they entered, her child in a hastily acquired cot to one side, totally ignored.

"Has ickle Dromy come to see poor, sad Bella?" She asked in her usual sing-song voice, a cruel smile playing across her lips.

Bella was tied down to her bed at her wrists and ankles but that didn't seem to stop her much.

"Has she been left like this the whole pregnancy?" Andromeda asked Lenkin quietly.

"No. We usually keep her sedated, no choice with this one, but some people thought you'd want to talk." He left the last bit a question.

Andromeda shook her head. "I'm just here for the child." She said.

Bella pulled a sad face and then cackled.

"Is there something I should know?" Andromeda asked of her sister, the on-site healer entering with a weak sleeping draught.

Bella just cackled some more.

They left the room to the sounds of Bella refusing to drink the potion, a normal occurrence for the healers here.

The healer that came with Andromeda came out carrying the bundle of blankets that was her niece? Nephew? She realised she didn't know.

"A little boy." The healer told her, reading her expression correctly. "We've just got to give this little fella his medication and Steve's got to check for dementor damage then he's all yours."

"Medication?"

"Yes, baby safe chocolate milk mainly." The healer said with a chuckle.

Steve the mind-healer nodded. "Shouldn't be anything to worry about, just better safe than sorry and the earlier found the earlier fixed and all those other clichés you hate to hear."

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She arrived home to the sight of Ted standing in their doorway with her sweet little Nym cuddling his waist. They were waiting for her, and him.

She smiled to herself when Nym saw her and raced down their path to meet her.

"Is that it?" She gushed.

"Meet your new brother." Andromeda told her daughter as she bent down to her height. Nym drew back the blanket for a better look.

The little boy murmured softly as the first ray of sunlight fell upon his skin. He'd never seen the sun, nor would he have had he stayed in Azkaban.

"We'll need to visit a shop or two." Ted said.

Andromeda smiled at her husband. "I suppose we will." She agreed.

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The first week passed easily, little Sal was settling in comfortably. Bella's one demand was his name - Salazar - Andromeda had made it clear she wouldn't ever name any child after 'that man,' as she put it in her letters, and so Bella had settled for the founder's name instead.

It was in his second week in the Tonks household that the problems began. Andromeda woke to the sound of wet, strangled crying. The family's sole house elf appeared holding the baby out to her and Ted.

"Sorrys Mistress." The house elf said addressing Andromeda as she accepted the stricken child. "Nairsy bringses Master Salazar 'cos Nairsy don't knows hows to helpses Master Salazar."

Nairsy was wringing her hands nervously but Andromeda had no time to comfort the elf. "Ted!" She near screamed. Dried blood caked the child's jaw and fresh bubbles were forming at his now silent mouth. "I've got to go." She called. "St Mungos."

She didn't wait for a reply before apparating straight into the entrance hall of the hospital.

"Help me." She cried, healers already rushing to her side.

"I think it'd be better if you come with me." Someone, a healer maybe, said gently to her as Sal's small form was hurriedly taken into one of the rooms. She was led into a small, quiet room close by, answering the questions automatically as the world around her drifted out of focus.

She didn't know when it was that Ted arrived with their daughter. The healers came back at some point to talk them through what was happening but she couldn't say when.

It was then she realised the why. Bella knew. She'd known all along. She'd never asked anyone else because her gift to Andromeda hadn't been a child. It had been the misery that came from losing one.

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edit 28/10/13: spacing corrected.


End file.
